Warm Hospitality

Warm Hospitality is a random encounter in Tales from the Tiers.

Transcript
A thick wreath of smoke is visible from the road, coiling into the sky from behind a charred hill. A few discordant cries break the stillness of air for a brief moment. You follow the ashen trail to its source and spot a crowd of villagers surrounding the smoldering remains of a burnt house, somber and grave. Confront the group and demand an explanation. Ignore them and return to the path. The smell of burnt flesh assails you as you approach. A haggard-looking woman notices you and gasps, gathering up her soot-covered skirt in her hands, as if ready to flee. You see a dozen other men and women with her, faces gaunt, skin cracked and dusty from ash. Thank the woman for her service and spare her some rings. Execute the woman for illegally destroying potential war assets. Promise the village protection from Chorus forces. Torch the entire village for being complicit in these murders. It takes her a moment the register your gesture, half-expecting that you might hand her a blade instead of the rings. She thanks you for the rings and asks you to wait a moment, rushing momentarily to the rear of the destroyed building. Citing your authority as a Fatebinder, you pronounce the woman guilty of the willful destruction of war assets, noting that the Sages and their belongings should have been directed to agents of Kyros for lawful disposal. She drops to her knees, hands trembling as she lowers her head. Between pained gasps, she begins to tell the other villagers that she had their interests at heart, but is silenced by your weapons before she can finish her words. The settlers cries out in horror, but not a single word of protest is uttered. You ignore the frightened villagers and step towards the blackened house, spotting two corpses near its now-collapsed door. You quickly rifle through the Sages' blackened bodies and retrieve a few items of value - better to confiscate them than to leave such knowledge in the hands of peasants. With Chorus patrols roaming the blackened countryside, it isn't surprising to hear that some villagers might fear for their lives. You assure the group that their actions, while hasty, weren't illegal in the eyes of the Disfavored. You produce a scrap of paper and note down the villager's location, whisking it away in a raven's claw with a jolt of your arm. That missive, you note, will make the settlement known to Disfavored forces, who will claim jurisdiction and provide protection when they are able. A mixture of relief and apprehension is visible in the villagers' eyes, but only words of thanks and agreement are given voice. The tired woman approaches you with a partially-burned satchel and pushes it into your arms, noting that it's all the remains of the Sages and is better entrusted to a Fatebinder. You thank her for the items and return to the road. With weapon drawn, you force the villagers to kneel before you as you pronounce your verdict. The entire settlement is guilty of murder - directly or as accessory to the fact. The punishment, you declare, is a complete razing of the village. You grab a wooden beam from the burnt house and set it aflame, handing it to the woman that set the initial blaze. You step into some of the homes as they begin to burn, claiming any items of value you see by your authority as a Fatebinder. Satisfied, you return to the road, leaving the growing flames in your wake. As you walk, a cacophony of angry shouts trails after you, followed by a high-pitched scream, and then silence. Judging the affairs of local villagers beneath your concern, you return to the road. You demand an explanation, and the woman admits that the village gave shelter to four Sages, a decision that she considered foolhardy. Fearing reprisal from Chorus patrols or Disfavored scouts, she barricaded the house's only door and set fire to the building while they slept. The group isn't of one mind - some remain quiet, while others call her a murderer. The argument intensifies momentarily before you let out a shrill whistle to silence them. The villagers turn to regard you, their fates in your hands. Returning with a partially-burned satchel, she pushes it into your arms, saying it's late Sages' possessions - things best entrusted to a Fatebinder. Several villagers shake their heads and glare at her, but say nothing as you depart and return to the road. She stares at you, dumbfounded, before realizing that you mean for her to do the deed. She stumbles towards the next building, trembling as she presses the burning beam against it, igniting the dry roof. The villagers stare in shock as she moves from one building to the next. Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue... Continue...